Fact check: Viral image of Saudi defence minister kissing Iranian president's hand is AI-generated

Several social media users, including pro-Houthi accounts based on their past posts, have been sharing an image since October 26, on social media platforms Facebook and X, allegedly showing the Saudi defence minister kissing the hand of the Iranian president amid a meeting in Tehran involving the Makkah Defence Alliance. However, the image is old and edited using AI. Iran hosted senior security officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye on Oct 26 for talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian called for regional unity and a coordinated stance among Islamic countries,…